Wall Street and Me

New York -- I am bemused by today's first assignment -- ringing the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange. After all, environmentalists and capitalism have an uneasy relationship, and for many of the companies listed on the Big Board their most memorable experience with the Sierra Club came in the form of papers served for environmental lawsuits we've brought. But companies are an essential part of the solution if we're going to reshape our economy along sustainable lines, and I'm here this morning along with Donald Knauss, the CEO of Clorox, to open trading on the Monday before Earth Day.

The Sierra Club has partnered with Clorox on a new line of natural, non-petroleum-based cleaning products: Greenworks. We've said for years that sustainability shouldn't be a luxury for only the affluent, and Greenworks is the first line of environmentally friendly cleaning products to be marketed -- and priced -- for the average American. Sustainability is one of the central themes that Knauss --who's been at the helm for only 18 months -- has established for Clorox, and Greenworks is a good beginning -- but the company recognizes it's got miles to go before it can complete its transformation. Still, Greenworks is a category-transforming beginning -- and perhaps this morning's bell may be the first indicator that corporate America -- or its innovators at least -- can move from greenwashing to green chemistry.

Capitalism, incidentally, survived its close encounter with the Sierra Club -- the Dow closed down only .19%.